PENNSYLVANIA MAN COMMITTED THREE MURDERS IN 24 HOURS, POLICE SAY

A Pennsylvania man who killed three people over a 24-hour period in January has been charged with three counts of murder, police said. 

On the morning of January 20, Donald Tillman, 36, allegedly shot his wife, Tyronda Harrington, 33, multiple times at their home, Philadelphia Police Department Capt. Jason Smith said of the “domestic-related” homicide, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer 

Authorities said two of the victim’s children, aged 4 and 14 years old, were home at the time of the slaying. Tillman allegedly also unsuccessfully attempted to kill the teenager before fleeing, KYW-TV reported.

Tillman, 36, allegedly then drove to the apartment of Mark Ruff, 59, and Nicole Newell, 43. He shot Newell dead, laid in wait for Ruff to return home and then fatally gunned him down as well, said Smith, who noted both victims had wounds to the backs of their heads.

A maintenance worker reportedly discovered the pair’s bodies two days later. 

Tillman was linked to all three murders when bullets from a 9mm handgun found at the two crime scenes matched each other, Smith said.

Detectives recovered video camera footage that showed the suspect wearing Ruff’s jacket and tossing the victim’s keys into a dumpster, the homicide captain added.

According to KYW-TV, Tillman has 20 prior arrests and was on probation for firearms violations at the time of the killings.

“We may never know what motivated Donald Tillman to commit the horrifically violent crimes we allege he committed over the course of one day last January,” District Attorney Larry Krasner said. “But we do know that prohibitions on the lawful purchase of firearms placed on him as a convicted felon were essentially worthless, and that Pennsylvania is flooded with deadly weapons that are too cheap and too easily accessible.”

In addition to the three counts of murder, Tillman also faces charges of attempted murder, endangering the welfare of a child, reckless endangerment and burglary, among other crimes.

He is being held without bail.